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NOTE ABOUT FIELD TRIPS All ages and experience levels of birders are welcome to participate. Some field trips will be more strenuous than others, but trip leaders can advise you of the amount of physical activity involved in a particular outing. You don't have to be an expert to go birding and have fun with Burroughs Audubon!  BURROUGHS AUDUBON FIELD TRIPS & OTHER LOCAL AND REGIONAL EVENTS JANUARY 2008 Tuesday, January 1: Lake Jacomo & Fleming Park with Jim and Ellen Zellmer. This field trip is open to anyone willing to spend the day with a bunch of birders hoping to get a jump start on the New Year and our annual lists. We'll meet at 8:00 a.m. in the parking lot of the Jackson County Park Office at the intersection of Liggett Rd. and Woods Chapel Road (watch for traffic light at this 3-way intersection). We’ll look for winter residents and late migrants -- ducks, geese, sparrows, finches, eagles, hawks and, hopefully, some surprises! Be sure to dress for the weather and wear footwear for some light walking along the roads, at the dam area, at the swimming beach area and, possibly, on some of the trails. There's one spot in particular spot where Winter Wren has previously been found, but it involves a hike up a steep hill off Woods Chapel Road. We’ll carpool as much as possible. If you have them, please bring FRS radios to keep each other posted on sightings as we drive the roads through the park. We will try to go around the lake at least once. Bring snacks and beverages. The Zellmers will also bring a cooler of water. If the weather is really cold, we'll warm up at an eating establishment at the 40 Hwy/I-470 exit after which we'll return to the lake for more birding. So, mark your calendars, and “Let's Go Birding!” Please contact Jim Zellmer with questions at  or 816-228-3955.Saturday,  if you plan to participate, so that he can contact you if the trip is cancelled because of bad weather. The alternate date will be January 26.FEBRUARY 2008 February 15-18: 11th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count – various locations including Ernie Miller Nature Center in Olathe and the Burroughs Audubon Library in Blue Springs. Saturday, February 16: Powell Gardens with Alan Branhagan. Meet at the Powell Gardens visitor center at 8:00am. Entry fee will be waived for all trip participants (be sure to state that you’re with Burroughs Audubon). This will be a half-day trip which will cover a 3.5 mile walk, so dress for the weather and bring snacks and water. Some in our group may choose to have lunch afterwards at the Café Thyme located in the visitor’s center. For more information contact Alan at  .Sunday, February 24: Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area with Shari Harden. Meet in the picnic area parking lot at 8:00am. We’ll search for sparrows and winter songbirds in a variety of habitats. After lunch, we may visit Maple Leaf Lake, if people are interested (Maple Leaf Lake is about 20 minutes East of Blue Springs, just off of I-70). Burr Oak Woods is North of I-70 on 7 Hwy. in Blue Springs. Take 7 Hwy. north to Park Rd. Turn left on Park Rd. (there’s a large sign for James Lewis Elementary and Burr Oak Woods at the corner of 7 Hwy. and Park Rd.). Take Park Rd. into the Conservation Area and continue until you see the picnic area on the right. Contact Shari Harden at  if you have any questions.MARCH 2008 Saturday, March 1: Falconry Outing with Bob Payne. Plan to join us for this third winter excursion with Bob Payne (Master Falconer and member of the Missouri Falconer’s Association) and his Harris's Hawk, "George". This trip is very dependent on weather conditions and small game animal populations. The trip will require 2-3 hours of moderately strenuous hiking; please bring water and dress for the weather. We will meet at 10:00 AM at the Burger King at the intersection of I-35 and K-7 Highways in Olathe, KS (just east of the Great Mall of the Great Plains). Bob will answer questions before taking us to the hunting area. Please contact Elizabeth Stoakes at (816)554-1956 or  if you plan to attend, and provide contact information in case the trip must be postponed on short notice.Sunday, March 2: 'Tropical Getaway' Bird Walk in association with Burroughs Audubon International Conservation Committee fundraising event. Dress casual and come early for birding along the Indian Creek streamway trail system. Brad Jacobs and guests will lead a group at 4:30. Wednesday,  or 816-655-6254 ext. 246.Saturday, March 15: Overland Park Arboretum Visitor's Center Presentation: Birds of the Arboretum. Time 1:00 p.m. Presentation lasts approximately 45 minutes. Short bird walk follows, weather permitting. Bring binoculars and field guides, if you have them. Contact Pat St. John at  or Helen Hewins at  for more information. Click here for directions.Saturday, March 22: Ernie Miller Nature Center and Kill Creek Park with Pat St. John. We’ll meet at the Nature Center parking lot at 8:00 a.m. and take an early Spring walk to look for sparrows, finches, and other songbirds. We will also check out the habitat at newer Kill Creek Park to see if we can begin to establish a bird list for this area. This is a half-day trip, so be sure to bring snacks and drinks. Contact Pat at 913-706-5569 or with any questions.APRIL 2008 Sunday, April 6: Squaw Creek NWR with David Seibel. Join our Annual Dinner speaker for a trip in search of shorebirds and other early migrants! For those wishing to carpool, meet at the MoDOT commuter lot in Platte City at 7:00 AM or meet our group at the refuge headquarters at 8:00 AM. Bring snacks, lunch, and water for this all day trip. For more information contact Pat St. John at or 913-706-5569..Saturday, April 19: Beginning Bird Walk at Overland Park Arboretum with Mark Land. Meet at the visitor's center 8:00 a.m. The walk will last about an hour to an hour and a half. Bring binoculars and field guides if you have them. Contact Mark at or 913-381-4324.Saturday, April 26: La Grande Birding Fiesta at Ernie Miller Nature Center in Olathe. 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Click here for directions. (Ages 6 & Older - Children must be accompanied by one parent/adult chaperone per group of 5). It's springtime, so let's celebrate! Join us at Ernie Miller Park to welcome back hummingbirds, orioles, warblers, and other feathered friends from their winter vacation in Central and South America. Take a guided bird hike through the park and learn the basics of birding. Participants may also visit bird-related information booths and children's activity stations at their leisure. See live birds of prey! Make a bird feeder to take home, and find out how to attract birds to your yard. In the event of rain, booths and stations will be moved indoors. Appropriate for school-age children and beginning birders. Great activity for small scout groups! For more information, contact Elaine Giessel, Park Naturalist at 913-764-7759. This 1 to 3 1/2 hr. event - FREE in conjunction with Outdoor Kansas Kids (OK KIDS) Day - Come and go as you please. Sunday, April 27: Platte County Spring Birding Run with Laura Gilchrist. We'll bird three Platte County locations featuring different habitats and end the day eating lunch together at Pat's Steak House! 1. Platte Falls Conservation Area, 2. Weston Bend State Park, 3. Little Bean Marsh Natural Area, and 4. Pat's Steakhouse in Rushville (near Little Bean Marsh) for a 'home-cooked' lunch. The trip will involve some light walking, mostly on paved trails. Bring drinks, snacks and FRS radios. Meet at 7:00 a.m. at McDonald's in Platte City, off of I-29 (exit 18). Lunch will be 1:00ish. FYI--Drive time from Platte City to Little Bean Marsh is only 20 minutes. Contact Laura at 816-835-9595 or  .April 25-27: Kansas Birding Festival in Wakefield, KS. Not far from Junction City and Manhattan, take a birding and wildlife trip that you won't soon forget. Plan to attend this year's Kansas Birding Festival. Over 300 bird species have been seen in the Milford Lake area. This area is rich in birding opportunities during the latter part of April. In addition to native birds, this is a prime season for migration. MAY 2008 May 2-4: ASM Spring Meeting in Chillicothe, MO. Grasslands, upland and riparian mixed hardwood timber, wetlands and water impoundments; all these make for great bird habitat. All are found in the Grand River and Missouri River valleys of North Missouri. You will have the opportunity to visit these areas when you come to the 2008 ASM Spring Meeting in Chillicothe. May 2-4: KOS Spring Meeting in Goodland, KS. Saturday, May 10: Weston Bend State Park with Nancy Leo. Meet at the parking lot of the Hike/Bike trail at 7:00 a.m. to look for spring warblers, flycatchers, tanagers and vireos. This has been a premier spot in past years. Come prepared with snacks, beverages and appropriate clothing for this 3.5 mile walk. For more info, contact Nancy Leo at 913-205-8847 or  .Thursday, May 15: Blue River Parkway with Don Arney. Meet at 8:00 a.m. in the tennis court parking lot of Minor Park on Blue River Road, just south of Red Bridge Road. This field trip is also a bird census to help KC WildLands determine the effectiveness of restoration efforts in the Blue River Corridor. This trip is the first of two censuses Burroughs volunteers perform in support of that effort. We'll spend 1/2 day walking the trails along the Blue River. Bring snacks, beverages and insect repellent. Contact Don Arney at 816-931-8536 or  for more information.Saturday, May 17: Fort Leavenworth and Leavenwoth Bottoms with Dave Williams. Join us on the other side of the river from Weston Bend for an all-day birding trip to the exceptional forest habitats of Fort Leavenworth. We'll start the day by visiting the upland oak-hickory forest where there is a number of secluded walking trails and gravel roads. Next, we'll break for lunch before proceeding to the bottomland forest along the Missouri River. These woods present one of the finest remaining stands of primary (uncut) forest along the Missouri River. Target species will include later-arriving spring migrants, plus those species that remain here to breed. In addition to a heron rookery, both Summer and Scarlet Tanagers occur here, as well as Eastern Towhee, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and others. Meet at the commuter parking lot on the north side of Kansas Highway 92 (Metropolitan Ave), approximately 0.5 mile west of the Missouri River Bridge into Leavenworth, or about 0.25 mile east of the main entrance to the Fort. We'll be leaving the parking lot at 6:30 a.m. Please bring food and drink for lunch, as we will have a picnic lunch in the woods. As this is a U.S. military base, it is very important that everyone have a photo ID. You will not be permitted onto the Fort, otherwise. There will be some moderate hiking, although everyone can proceed at their own pace. Alternate plans can be made for those who don't want to tackle the trails. Insect repellent is highly advised, especially in the Bottoms. Hope to see you there! Contact Dave Williams at 913-238-1221 or  .Saturday, May 24: Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary with Linda Williams. Meet at the sanctuary visitor's center at 7:30 a.m. for a half-day walk. This is another gem of a "migrant trap" in the KC metro area and a great opportunity to reacquaint birders with this private park. Bring water, snacks, and insect repellent. Map and directions can be found here. For more information contact Linda at  or 816-536-5001.Saturday Morning Bird Walks: Offered by the KC area Wild Bird Centers Corinth Square Store: FIRST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH, 4046 West 83rd, Prairie Village, KS. Meet at the store at 8 AM, bird for 2-3 hours, then return to the store. Call 913-381-5633 for more info. Bird Walks through June 2008:
Noland Road Store: 4201 South Noland Road, Independence, MO. Currently this store is looking for a new field trip leader, so the Saturday morning walks are not being held. If you can help, don't hesitate to call 816-478-9399 for more info. MORE INFORMATION: For more information about our field trips, or to volunteer to lead a trip, please contact Helen Hewins by email at or phone 913-642-0498, or Pat St. John by email at or phone 913-599-3106.
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